Premier League: Defeat at Newcastle

Manchester United travelled to the northeast of England yesterday for a Premier League matchup with Newcastle United at a cold but sunny St. James’ Park. This was going to be a crucial battle in the race for the top-4 and Champions League qualification next season. The Red Devils had a chance to cement their vice-like grip on 3rd place, which is where the club has been for most of the season. Newcastle and manager Eddie Howe are looking to appease their new Middle Eastern owners who have invested heavily in the team. Newcastle are a big club with a rich history, and their supporters always expect them to be challenging at the highest level. This was a re-match of the League Cup final earlier this season, which United won 2-0.

The Magpies were the better team from the outset, aided by a thunderous atmosphere provided by the Newcastle supporters. The atmosphere and their form would continue for the majority of the match. They had better possession and were creating all the chances, while United were struggling to figure out their own tactical plan. Keeper David De Gea made a double-save about 15 minutes in to keep out striker Alexander Isak and then the follow-up from Bruno Guimarães. Midfielder Sean Longstaff also saw a longer-rage effort fly just wide of the post about 15 minutes later after a neat passing move. United’s back line – marshalled by center backs Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane – was playing well, but the midfield and forwards were incredibly disjointed. Manager Erik ten Hag employed a midfield three of Marcel Sabitzer, Scott McTominay, and Bruno Fernandes in this match, and it must be noted that United were completely overrun in midfield for most of the match. United’s best chance was striker Wout Weghorst firing into the side netting of keeper Nick Pope’s goal. More on the tactics below. Still though, after 45 minutes it was 0-0, but it was largely thanks to Newcastle being wasteful in front of the goal.

United fans would have expected ETH to make a change or for the players to respond after playing poorly in the first half, but that never materialized. Newcastle largely picked up where they left off from the first half. Better on the ball, more energetic in picking up the second balls, and had more chances going forward. Newcastle eventually did cash in on their dominance on 65 minutes via midfielder Joe Willock. A cross was played in from the right by Guimarães that overshot most of the attackers, but found winger Allan Saint-Maximin at the back post. Saint-Maximin headed the ball back across the face of goal, and Willock was able to head it in from close range. The goal had been coming, but it’s unclear why De Gea didn’t collect the header from Saint-Maximin back across. It appeared he could have disrupted the flight of the ball, but he mystifyingly just watched it in the air. The marking on Willock was also poor, with Varane not getting close enough to him. A good goal from Newcastle that was thoroughly deserved.

ETH had made changes about five minutes before the goal bringing on striker Anthony Martial and winger/midfielder Jadon Sancho, but they largely failed to inspire the United attack. Every once in a while there would be a half chance created, but Newcastle looked more likely to get a second than United did to getting an equalizer. The Magpies did indeed get their second on 88 minutes, and it was a very simple goal in the end. Right back Kieran Trippier played a free kick from the right wing near the corner flag into the box, with striker Callum Wilson being on hand to head home from five yards out. Poor marking again, and it was bad free kick to concede by Red Devils left back Luke Shaw. His foul in that area was needless and he has to know the danger of giving a player like Trippier a dead ball opportunity from that position. Well done to Wilson for being in the right place at the right time, but the marking has to be tighter on him. The final whistle blew after 3 minutes of stoppage time, and Newcastle won 2-0.

ETH got his tactics and substitutions wrong in this match. Plain and simple. It’s true that we are without our two best midfielders in Casemiro and Christian Eriksen, but that’s no excuse for the tactics being so poor. Sabitzer and McTominay were largely invisible for most of the match, and it was unclear what United were trying to do in terms of the overall game plan. It seemed like some of them were trying to play the counter-press and win the ball high up the pitch, while other ones were trying to play possession and keep the ball. The result was Newcastle domination. The substitutions didn’t make sense, either. McTominay and Weghorst should have been off at half-time, yet they were left out there an additional 15 minutes. Martial is clearly not fully match fit yet, and Sancho’s decision making was (not for the first time) poor. I also didn’t understand taking off Martinez and Varane, given that they had been two of our better players on the day. The second goal was almost a direct result of the shuffling of the back line. Also, it’s becoming more and more clear that De Gea is not the best keeper for ETH’s system. His distribution is simply not good enough for a manager that wants his team to build from the back. There was an interview conducted with Newcastle winger Jacob Murphy after the match, and he said that he and his teammates noticed De Gea’s indecision with goal-kicks early on. Newcastle’s high press kept United penned into their own half for most of the game, with De Gea consistently unable to find an outlet. Either ETH must change his overall philosophy, or United need a new goalkeeper in the summer. I don’t see the former happening.

The tactics in this match were one problem, but a much bigger problem was the lack of energy and motivation on display from most of the team. This team’s mentality was a big issue last season under former managers Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick, and it seems those old issues reared their ugly heads yet again. I saw a lot of the players quit trying in this match towards the end, and that is frankly unacceptable. Shaw said as much in his post-match interview. The opportunity to take something from this match was there until the 88th minute, but United acted like they were 4-0 down for most of the second half. ETH must fix this issue first and foremost. Our away form against the big teams this season has been dismal as well. He has to get in his players’ faces as a collective and hold them accountable for such a crap result. He has done that before, and the team usually improves as a result.

But this loss puts the cat amongst the pigeons in the race for the top-4. Arsenal and Manchester City have the top two spots almost guaranteed, but now we have United, Newcastle, and Tottenham Hotspur all jockeying for spots 3 and 4. All three teams are currently level on 50 points, but United’s goal difference is vastly inferior to the other two. Tottenham have two games in hand so there is that advantage for the Red Devils, but United are definitely in a dog fight now. The next match is also against a dangerous Brentford side on Wednesday April 5, and they have already beaten United earlier this season. United are temporarily down to fifth, although they could finish the match week in 4th if Tottenham lose today. In any event, there was a big chance in this match for United to gain some breathing room over those rivals, but that opportunity was squandered. Fifth place is not acceptable for a team of this caliber.

United Held by Newcastle at Old Trafford

The Red Devils played host to Newcastle United yesterday at Old Trafford in the Premier League. This was the beginning of a tough run of fixtures for United, as they have three matches in seven days against some very good teams. One of those teams was today’s opponent, colloquially known the Magpies. They are challenging for European spots this year thanks to a hefty spend in the summer transfer window, funded by their new Saudi owners in that country’s latest act of sportswashing. I have a deep respect and admiration for Newcastle United as a club and for it’s history, but that respect to does not extend to their new ownership group.

The match got underway and both sides seemed content to feel each other out gradually. I was hoping United would be more on the attack from the get-go, but that was not really the case. Winger Jadon Sancho had a shot go wide of the target from distance, but that was United’s only action in the opening 20 minutes. Newcastle came closer to a goal on 23 minutes after midfielder Joelinton struck the crossbar with a header and then struck the post off the rebound with a follow-up header. The woodwork was the hero twice, as United keeper David De Gea would not have gotten to either effort. There was no major action again until 37 minutes, when United winger Antony dos Santos was denied from close range at a tight angle by the legs of Newcastle and England keeper Nick Pope. Bruno Fernandes then saw his header go wide in first half stoppage time, and the half ended 0-0. Newcastle had the best chance to score, but United had more chances to score. A fairly even half with maybe a slight edge to United.

The second half got off to an odd start when striker Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to steal the ball away from the feet of Pope and slot home for 1-0, but the referee mysteriously disallowed the goal. He had previously awarded Newcastle a free kick which Pope was set to take, and it appeared to have been touched by a Newcastle defender as Pope was readying himself for a long kick. Ronaldo elected to take the ball around Pope and slot home in an empty net, but the referee Craig Pawson called the goal back and booked Ronaldo instead! A very confusing sequence of events. I don’t think Pawson saw the Newcastle defender touch the ball because he wasn’t paying attention. Terrible, really. Ronaldo caught them napping and was punished for it.

Another poor decision from Pawson happened on 53 minutes, when Ronaldo was collided with by Newcastle and England fullback Kieran Trippier. Replays showed Tripper clearly stepping on Ronaldo’s foot without getting contact on the ball, yet neither Pawson nor VAR intervened to correct the decision. Pawson was repeatedly in the negative spotlight as the half wore on. Newcastle’s primary tactic became to foul United players any time they were on the ball in attack, and Pawson repeatedly failed to appropriately punish the fouls or he missed them altogether.

United got two fantastic chances late on, the first of which was squandered by poor finishing from midfielder Fred after an excellent run and cross from winger/forward Marcus Rashford that pulled Pope way off his line. Fred had the goal open in front of him, but he couldn’t get enough control on the ball due to the pace of the cross and he flashed it wide left. Rashford was then guilty of a bad miss himself in stoppage time when his header off a sublime cross by midfielder Casemiro over the top in from the left also went wide of the post. Rashford had space and you could tell he was trying to guide it back across the face of goal, but he couldn’t find the back of the net. The final whistle blew a few minutes later and the match ended 0-0.

It is fair to partially blame the referee and the cynical tactics from Newcastle for this result, but just as much blame (if not more) needs to be placed on United’s poor finishing, particularly in the second half. For most of this match, in particular the second half, United were the better side. They had the possession advantage, they were creating more chances, and generally keeping a decent Newcastle side penned in their own half. The two chances at the end of the match in particular were glaringly bad. This is the second match in a row where finishing has been the principal and primary issue as well. They got away with it in midweek against Omonia Nicosia, but squandering chances and hoping for a miracle in the final minutes is not a reliable formula for winning matches. A striker is required in January. This club cannot rely on an injury-prone Anthony Martial and an aging Ronaldo to be the primary goal threats. Rashford is not a natural center-forward, either. He can play there if needed, but he’s much more effective down the left and right wings and then cutting inside to create a shooting chance.

All that said, United had a goal wrongly disallowed and were denied at least one, maybe two clear penalties in this match. Pawson was terrible and the Newcastle players knew they could get away with fouling United players because he wasn’t going to card anyone. VAR was also mysteriously not called into action several times when perhaps it should have been, so the VAR official had a bit of a shocker as well.

At the end of the day, one point is better than zero points. It is also the first Premier League draw of manager Erik ten Hag’s tenure, interestingly. United sit 5th in the table still, now three points off Chelsea in 4th instead of just one. United host in-form Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday at Old Trafford. If United don’t sort out their scoring issues, that could be a very bad match. Spurs are scoring for fun right now and United will probably need at least 1-2 goals for a realistic chance at a good result.

Glory Glory Man United!

Final Matches for England Before World Cup 2022

England took on Italy last Friday and Germany today in the UEFA Nations League, a tournament of pseudo-friendlies that serve no real purpose other than making money for UEFA and perhaps being tune-up games before major tournaments. England manager Gareth Southgate was primarily concerned with the latter, as the Three Lions have no more matches between now and the kickoff of their match against Iran at the World Cup in Qatar on November 21.

The match against Italy was terrible. There’s no point in going over it in detail because it was incredibly tepid from an England point of view and they frankly looked disinterested in the result. It was a 1-0 loss at Wembley that had the whole punditry industry and every person with access to a keyboard calling for Southgate’s sacking and replacing before the tournament begins. I was by no means impressed either, but I have to question how much that match actually mattered to the players in the grand scheme of things. Italy won’t be at the World Cup (haha) and none of the teams in our group play a style similar to them. Yes, England should have played better, but the motivation for the players will be much higher at a match that actually matters.

The match against Germany today at Wembley was much improved, and it will give the players something to build on going into the World Cup. The aforementioned uproar from television and pundits and social media was heard by the players, and they played with a lot more purpose and pride than they did in the Italy match. Indeed, Ze Germans were lucky not to be down one or two goals at halftime. Raheem Sterling in particular was guilty of a bad miss despite otherwise playing well. 0-0 at halftime, but it was much better from an attacking perspective.

The second half of today’s match was insanity. England went down 1-0 via a penalty conceded by the ever-controversial Harry Maguire, and then he gave the ball away again which ultimately led to a second German goal. I almost turned the match off, down 2-0 to the Germans with 2/3 of the match gone. But all credit to the lads for fighting back today, and when I say “the lads” I primarily mean Jude Bellingham. The Borussia Dortmund midfielder was England’s best player on the pitch today, and if he is not starting in every match come November then Southgate deserves the sack for negligence. He has confidence, power, speed, dribbling, passing – everything you want out of a central midfielder. He simply refuses to stop trying, and contributed heavily to the first England goal from Luke Shaw. The goal lifted the lads, and Mason Mount got the equalizer just four minutes later with a very impressive strike that left German keeper Ter Stegen dumbfounded. Bellingham was also involved in the third England goal, winning the penalty that striker Harry Kane superbly converted to give England a 3-2 lead.

Although backup keeper Nick Pope fumbled a cross that Germany’s Kai Havertz was able to bundle in for a German equalizer late on, the three goals in 11 minutes of play showed what England are capable of when given the liberty to do so. Southgate made some good substitutions today and he needs credit for that, but he deserves more than his fair share of scrutiny for the his routinely conservative approach in previous matches and his focus on defending. Put simply, England are much better in attack than they are in defense, at least right now. We can score goals against any opposition in the world, and I am confident of that. So why isn’t Southgate playing to his strengths? Why does he insist on shackling players like Kane, Sterling, Bukayo Saka, and Phil Foden with defensive duties when not on the ball? We need to get those lads on the ball and get them running at the opposition. As I have said many times before, I’m sick of losing 1-0 or 2-1 to teams with effective tactical plans. I do think we have enough juice to win the group, but beyond that I worry about how far England will go playing Southgate-ball.

If the Three Lions can cut down on individual mistakes (Maguire, Pope) and lean into their attacking talent, they have a chance to do well at this tournament. If we insist on playing conservatively though, I fear we won’t go very far. The question of who all goes to Qatar is also up for debate, and I’m sure the next two months of club play will have an influence on Southgate’s final squad. I’d say there’s probably 8-10 players that are guaranteed to go, but the competition remains open for the other 10-15 spots. I think Jordan Pickford will be the No. 1 keeper after Pope’s error today, and I’d like to see center back Fikayo Tomori play in at least one group game as an alternative to Maguire.

Three Lions on the Shirts!

Another Match, But the Same Old Story

Manchester United travelled to the northeast of England today to take on Burnley in a Premier League match at Turf Moor. It’s safe to say that expectations were fairly low for United supporters, given the disaster against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup on Friday. Burnley are a bottom of the table club and stand a good chance to be relegated this season, but just because a team is not very good doesn’t mean United will beat them. The torrential rain, wind, and cold did not help to raise my expectations. Teams in the northeast thrive on horrendous weather because they practice and play in it all the time.

What happened today was the exact same thing that happened against Boro. Almost exactly the same match in terms of what happened; indeed it’s even a little odd just how similar these two successive matches were.

United were dominant in the first 45 minutes, just like against Boro. They had several chances either not taken or ruled out by the referee/VAR but did manage to score one goal, just like against Boro. Jadon Sancho scored against Boro around the 20 minute mark, and today Paul Pogba did the same thing around the same time. Burnley couldn’t get near us in the opening half, with Bruno Fernandes and Pogba controlling the midfield. United were winning the ball, passing well, and creating chances. Center-back Raphael Varane had a goal ruled out for an offside from a free kick, and Burnley keeper Nick Pope did well to deny United several times.

I wanted the match to stop at halftime though. The fact that we only scored one after dominating so thoroughly had me nervous for a repeat of what happened against Boro.

And I ended up being correct, although I did not want to be. Burnley came out in the second half and really took the game to United, and the opposition were undoubtedly galvanized by the lack of clinical finishing (again). Burnley got their equalizer just two minutes into the half via strike Jay Rodriguez, who was let through on goal after a mistake by Harry Maguire. More on him below.

The second half in totality was poor from United. It’s true they didn’t concede another goal, but that was more due to Burnley’s own ineptitude in front of goal than United’s defensive efforts. Burnley dropped all 11 men behind the ball once they equalized and suddenly United were out of ideas. Possession was fine along with some of the build up play, but every final ball or shot was cleared or blocked by a Burnley defender. The play of Burnley center-back Ben Mee was simply phenomenal. He always seemed to know exactly where to be to snuff out an attack, and he always made the right clearance at the right time.

The match ended 1-1 as the quality of football deteriorated in tandem with the weather. No real chances created for either side as the match wore on. Not even the introduction of Cristiano Ronaldo could spark a winner. His two best chances were a header over the bar and a header straight at Pope.

And ok yes, we did not lose, but we should be winning matches like this by 3 or 4 goals. Sometimes, a 1-1 draw is a good result. It absolutely was today for Burnley. This is a draw that feels like a loss for the Red Devils though. Any time you score only one goal despite a litany of chances, your club will be susceptible to a comeback. That is the nature of professional football in the Premier League. Some teams are worse than others, but anyone can still get a result anyone given the right conditions.

Maguire was terrible tonight and has been terrible for most of the season. He needs to be dropped for a few games to get his head right. Victor Lindelof has shown some promise working alongside Varane, and in my opinion he should be given more playing time. Edinson Cavani was also terrible for most of the match as well. He lost possession several times, which became more and more costly as the match wore on. Bruno and Pogba, for all their brilliance in the first half, went missing in the second. Marcus Rashford can’t finish a chance to save his life, and he also lost possession several times today. Sancho and Luke Shaw were also good in the first half, but again largely disappeared in the second.

Managers of rival clubs will take note of this very simple fact: if you can challenge United and rattle them mentally a little bit, they will fold like a house of cards. Burnley came out aggressively against us in the second half, and this squad for whatever reason couldn’t handle it. Piss poor attitude, really. We have World Cup winners and highly experienced international players in this squad, yet they can’t mentally handle being pegged back by objectively the worst team in the Prem. Manager Ralf Rangnick is somewhat to blame for this mental weakness, but in a team full of professionals its inexcusable.

There was so much hope and optimism for this squad before the season started. Many bookies and casinos gave us good odds to win the Prem, given the additions of Ronaldo, Sancho, and Varane. Now though we’ll be lucky to finish 4th. In all honesty, a team that can’t beat Boro or Burnley does not deserve to be anywhere the title or the top-4. This inconsistent form and lack of mental toughness have to be addressed, and I have no idea how to fix it.

United drop into 5th with this result. United are at home again on Saturday, Feb. 12th against Southampton at Old Trafford. I expect nothing, but I’m sure I’ll still be disappointed anyway.

Victory Over Kosovo Closes Out 2019 for England

The Three Lions flew to eastern Europe to take on Kosovo in their final match of calendar year 2019 and their final qualifier of Euro 2020. Kosovo scored 3 goals against England in their previous match back in October on England’s south coast, so I was concerned about this game being a potential headache.

I mentioned in my last post that England weren’t 100% guaranteed a spot at the top of the qualifying table before today’s match, but that was a mistake on my part. Rare retraction incoming! Czech Republic had already played all 8 of their qualifiers before the match kicked off early Sunday, meaning that England had already won the group without having to kick the ball today. Still, you don’t want your last qualifier to be sloppy. The last qualification match, once you’ve already won the group, should be used as a chance to make formation adjustments and give some playing time to the younger or fringe players of the team. England did well today to secure a “top six” qualification spot, ensuring that they avoid a powerhouse country (France, Italy, Germany, Portugal, etc.) in the group stages next summer.

I would like to take a second to shoutout not only the Kosovo players for playing hard for all 90+ minutes, but I would like to recognize the Kosovan supporters who came out to the stadium in Pristina and proudly supported their team. Politically and historically, Kosovans have been positive on England since the Kosovo War in 1999, and they seem to not have forgotten the military assistance England (via NATO) provided them when they were fighting with Serbia for independence. Kosovan supporters held up St. George’s Cross (England’s flag) during the signing of our national anthem. They also collectively shouted out the England players’ last names when the stadium announcer was saying them, something football fans only normally do for the home team. Obviously the full scope of the Kosovan War and all the problems in the Balkans are beyond the scope of this blog, but suffice it to say that Kosovo is one of the few nations across the world who are still positive on England politically speaking. The supporters were in full voice for the duration of the match, and their coordinated chants/light displays were amazing to behold.

As for the football itself, this was not the high-energy 5-3 win that England earned back in October. This match was slower and a lot more hesitant, probably because England did not play a full-strength side. They were also less adventurous going forward in the first half, probably because of the fear of Kosovo’s deadly counter-attack. There are not many teams who are as quick as Kosovo in attack, and they have set themselves up to be a counter-attacking team. England did not commit many men forward in the first half, and as a result the only goal was from defensive midfielder Harry Winks. He knocked a good pass from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain into space in the box and slotted home to the Kosovan keeper’s left. Poor defending really from the Kosovan center backs, and realistically the defending has always been the biggest issue for them. It doesn’t matter if you can score an average of two goals per game if you are conceding more than two goals per game. It was a rare goal for Winks as well, who was playing more forward in this game at the decision of manager Gareth Southgate.

The match progressed in the second half much like the first; slow and not really a whole lot going on. The Kosovo defense tired around the 70th minute, and that was really their undoing. England scored three more goals before the match ended, and the scoreline ended up being harsh on Kosovo. Tottenham’s Harry Kane, Man United’s Marcus Rashford, and Chelsea youngster Mason Mount all added fine goals late on. Kane solidified his place as top scorer for all nations involved in Euro 2020 qualifying. He, along with Callum Hudson-Odoi, will be England’s main striker at the tournament next summer. Rashford came on as a substitute and did well to mark his 20 minutes played with a goal. In each of the 2nd half goals, there was either poor defending by Kosovo, or they gave the ball away in a dangerous area. They couldn’t clear a cross from Raheem Sterling for Kane’s goal, and they gave the ball away in front of their own goal when Mount pounced and slotted home.

England were in second-gear for most of the match, and never really had to try all that hard to get the victory. Kosovo beat themselves today for the most part. Still, England were not wasteful in front of goal and they capitalized on the opportunities handed to them.

Going forward, I think England can be reasonably confident about their chances at Euro 2020. Good portions of the tournament will be played in England, and I don’t think any England team I’ve ever seen has this much depth in attack. The defense is still a worry against more talented sides, but the fact that they seemed to have fixed the problems Kosovo presented last time, it seems Southgate is capable of tactical adjustment.

England, under Southgate, are a team that builds from the back. That is what they’ve done consistently, and they’ve done it whether winning, losing, or if the match is tied. I’d like to see us be capable of switching things up tactically. The best teams, both at the club and country level, have more than one effective strategy for winning matches. Playing it out from the back is fine, but sometimes you just need your keeper to hoof it 80 yards for your speedy striker or winger to run on to. Croatia figured out that England were one-dimensional during the 2018 World Cup semifinal, and it cost England the match. If you want to be a champion, you need to be capable of winning in more than one way.

Not sure who was Man of the Match today. It’s hard to say, given how the game went. Impressed with Kane, Sterling, and even backup goalkeeper Nick Pope. Ben Chilwell also made some key contributions from the left back spot. You know what? Screw it. No one gets Man of the Match. Many England players contributed and this was a team victory.

Kane is well on his way to breaking Wayne Rooney’s goal-scoring record for England. He’s already got over half of Rooney’s goals in less than half the caps (appearances). He’s also only 26 and I think by the time he is done he will be regarded as England’s best ever striker. Rashford, Sterling, and Jadon Sancho all appear to be playing better and better. If Southgate can figure out a reliable center back pairing, England will be one of the favorites to win Euro 2020. Not quite as awesome as winning the World Cup, but it would be England’s first major tournament victory since 1966.

We’re right there. Right on the cusp of winning a trophy. We just need that final push to get us over the finish line.

As for the rest of how Euro 2020 will shake out, I have no idea. UEFA has made everything needlessly complicated; so complicated that spelling out every possible permutation for qualification could probably be it’s own post. Several other nations have already qualified, while several more will have to go to a play-off in March to fill out the rest of the tournament bracket. Kosovo is one of the teams that will be in the playoff, and I wish them nothing but the best of luck.

England do not play another fixture this year, and probably won’t be playing again until March themselves. I hope to see us play some of the more-talented sides in the run up to the tournament, so that the coaching staff gets the best possible look at just how good England are. Again: qualification for the tournaments isn’t usually England’s problem. England’s problem is choking at the big tournaments. Can we turn the corner? I hope so.